Bruxism is an involuntary or habitual grinding of the teeth, typically during sleep, which undesirably causes many dental and medical problems. For example, bruxism has been known to cause myo-facial pain syndrome, damage to teeth, and damage to the temporomandibular joints (TMJs). Incorrect or inadequate treatment of bruxism can amplify its effects.
Many types of night guards have been designed to help address the negative impacts of bruxism. Some night guards simply cover the teeth to prevent wear, while others aim to correct the centric relation (CR)/centric occlusion (CO) discrepancy to allow the TMJ to relax in its most anatomically appropriate and best stress bearing position, which is centric relation for most patients. Other night guards provide anterior guidance, which, among other benefits, significantly reduces the inappropriate muscle force associate with bruxism and guides the jaw to avoid posterior interferences. The best night guards protect the teeth, address the CR/CO discrepancy, and provide anterior guidance, as failing to address all three aspects can often increase the severity of bruxism.
Traditionally, dental professionals have constructed customized night guards that are typically attached to the maxillary and/or mandibular teeth. The customized night guards allow the dental professional to consider a patient's particular malocclusion and other factors to place the patient's jaw in centric relation or another predetermined index position. While helpful, these customized night guards typically require substantial time and effort to create and modify for each patient, and later replace once the night guard is damaged or lost. Existing night guards may also be limited for patients with missing or periodontally weakened teeth or specific malocclusions, and only provide limited anterior guidance.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved systems and methods to address the above mentioned deficiencies. Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to these and other considerations.